As more and more people migrate into cities, tiny living spaces will only become more popular.
And if you want to find well-designed tiny homes, look no further than Japan, which has mastered the art.
As author Andrew Michler explains in his new book "The Hyperlocalization of Architecture," privacy has never been paramount in Japanese design, and so tiny home architects in the country have figured out how to design wide-open interiors that seem much larger than they actually are.
One of our favorite Japanese tiny homes in Michler's book is the aptly named Small House, a tall and narrow home in Tokyo that uses less than half of its 111-square foot lot. It's a whole story taller than the surrounding homes, which makes a lot of sense once you look inside.
Instead of heating or cooling the whole space, the family that lives in Small House moves its sleeping area depending on the season.
In the summer, they stay on the ground floor. In the winter, they sleep above the kitchen to maximize warmth.
Each floor serves a different purpose: a bedroom and entrance on the ground floor (at least in the summer), dining room on the second, spare room on the third, and terrace room on top.
A spiral staircase winds through the entire home, allowing the family to communicate no matter what floor they're on. Large windows further maximize Small House's feeling of airiness.
"Most buildings will have a small window to the street, which is something I do not understand," explains Small House architect Hiroyuki Unemori in Michler's book. "I like the house to open to the street, to have the occupants see those who walk by. In other houses there is no communication."
In this home? Passersby can peek inside and be jealous of Small House's occupants.
